Maronite Patriarch Bechara al-Rai, in Bkirki, Mar. 17, 2024. (Credit: Maronite Patriarchate's X account)
“What is taking place today is similar to what preceded the Maronite Archbishops [Council’s] Declaration [which in September 2000 called for the withdrawal of Syrian troops, a few months after the liberation of south Lebanon].” This is how a source close to the Maronite patriarchate summarized to L’Orient-Le Jour the efforts that Patriarch Bechara al-Rai is currently making to reconcile the points of view of the Christian actors on issues deemed “key” for the community.
Although this process was launched several months ago, there is still a long way to go. The proof is that the document that should summarize the unified vision of Christians in the face of Lebanon's challenges has yet to see the light of day and is the subject of discussions and meetings between the parties concerned.
However, they all agree on the broad lines of the document, most notably the need to elect a president ASAP per the mechanism set in the constitution, and not through dialogue as Parliament speaker Nabih Berri desires.
In this vein, a meeting was held on Thursday — the third in two weeks and a fourth one is planned in a two-week time — in Bkirki. It took place under the chairmanship of Rai with representatives of the majority Christian parties, in the presence of the Maronite Bishop of Antelias, Antoine Bou Najm, who is mandated by the patriarch to lead the contacts with the actors concerned.
The meeting was also attended by MP Fadi Karam (Lebanese Forces (LF)\Koura), MP George Atallah (Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) \Koura). Antoine Constantine, an adviser to Gebran Bassil, also represented the FPM.
In turn, Kataeb Leader Sami Gemayel delegated his adviser, Sassine Sassine, to the meeting. Edouard Tayoun, a lawyer representing MP Michel Moawad, a former presidential candidate of the opposition, also attended.
François Zaatar represented Camille Dory Chamoun’s National Liberal Party at the meeting. Habib Charles Malek represented MP Neemat Frem, whose candidacy for the presidency was at one point mooted.
The participants discussed “for the last time,” an informed source said, the “Bkirki Document” on the Christians’ vision for the country and its future.
According to information obtained by L’Orient-Le Jour, the text addresses three main themes. The first concerns Lebanon’s identity and the importance of the Muslim-Christian co-existence message that Lebanon conveys to the world. The second deals with the dangers facing the country given “the desire of certain parties to turn [the country] into an island isolated from its Arab surroundings and to get their hands on Lebanon and its sovereign decision by leading it unilaterally into wars,” a source close to Bkirki who declined to be named said.
The source added that the text highlights the importance of enshrining the principle of the state monopoly over weapons, as a thinly veiled criticism of Hezbollah’s arsenal — an issue that Bkirki believes should be discussed as part of a national defense strategy.
The third part of the document focuses on the solutions to be put in place in the quest for the country’s economic and political recovery. The document stipulates that this begins with the election of a president as provided for in the constitution. “There is a clear mechanism that should be respected,” said a source close to the meetings’ participants, rejecting the broader dialogue that Berri called for. The overwhelming majority of Christian parties are therefore in line with Rai’s position on this issue.
Speaking to the ambassadors of the Group of five involved in the Lebanese dossier (the US, France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Qatar), the prelate was clear in his categorical rejection of any dialogue before the election.
The LF and its main Christian opponent, the FPM, agree on this point. “We are in favor of [informal] talks between the actors. But we are against Nabih Berri’s efforts to turn the dialogue table into a kind of formal institution where any presidential elections would be discussed,” said former MP for the FPM Edy Maalouf.
The same thing was heard from LF Leader Samir Geagea. “The only solution to [the deadlock] in the presidential election is by holding it [this election],” he wrote on X. “Anyone who says that the presidential election is impossible without dialogue is clearly saying: ‘If you do not accept my candidate, there will be no president.’ Let’s be clear: The presidential election is an election. As per the constitution, it is an election, and in practice, it is an election, whether or not there are prior arrangements,” the LF leader added.
The Maradas boycott
The meeting showed that the overwhelming majority of Christians agreed on the main principles and the importance of electing a president. But why was the “Bkirki Document” not made public?
“Firstly, because the version under discussion is not final. Secondly, because the dialogue with Sleiman Frangieh’s Marada is ongoing,” said an informed source.
The party of the Shiite tandem-backed presidential candidate was the only one who boycotted Thursday’s meeting, as well as the preparatory meetings. “This is not how the Christians are supposed to solve the country’s problems,” said a source close to Frangieh on condition of anonymity. The source added that the Marada learned about the document in two meetings with Bou Najm. “But it is a text that cannot be implemented,” the source said, without giving any further details.
In circles close to the authors of the document, there is a rejection of what they described as “the exclusively Christian logic in the Marada approach.” “That is particularly true since intellectuals from all religious communities have given their opinion,” said the informed source.
Commenting on the next step, the source simply said that it would be up to Rai to decide once the document is finalized. In the meantime, will the patriarch convene a meeting for the Christian leaders, as Bassil suggested, to discuss what he calls “equitable partnership”? “The time has come for [Bkirki’s] approach, which has nothing to do with Bassil,” said the source close to Rai.
This article was originally published in L'Orient-Le Jour. Translated by Joelle El Khoury.